I Corinthians 13

There's a quote from John Newton that reminds me of the love chapter from Paul.

What will it profit a man if he gains his cause, and silences his adversary,
if at the same time he loses that humble tender frame of spirit in which the Lord
delights, and to which the promise of his presence is made!

Yes, we can do great things, but we should keep in mind the essentials of faith are not about deeds and wonders, but about the spirit in which we do things. Yes, it would be nice if we could count on being saved through the number of churches we built or the success of a fund-raising campaign or something else that is visible and seen by the whole world. But the eyes of God are not on the outside of a person, but on the inside. The hands of God don't care for the materials used, but the love shown. It's not the things we do but the presence we bring.

It would be so much easier if we could count up the tasks. But the tasks are as we do our daily duty and the daily duties are a response to what God has already done. And our response is to share that good news rather than to try to earn our way into being worthy of that salvation. For we will never complete enough tasks or take on enough duties to earn our way to heaven. We can only accept the gift of that life, death, and resurrection which saved the world.